AQUILA [Dystopian Corpo-Feudalism + Animal Companions]

Twenty one. That’s the age when everything changes. Everyone manifests a symbiont, a creature invisible to all but its host that shapes their destiny in a rigid world. Conrada Dorrien harbors a dangerous secret: she alone can see everyone’s symbionts.  But revealing her gift could trigger a buyout of her contract, separating her from family and friends, and placing her at the mercy of ruthless corporations. Best case she ends up a lab-rat in some R&D project, worst case a weapon to a private military contractor. As manifestation approaches, Conrada hopes for a life within the sanctuary of academia following in her father’s footsteps and providing refuge from the confines of her serfdom. But she fears her extraordinary connection to the symbionts means she’s destined for anything but easy obscurity. All it takes is a single word.  Classified.   Conrada finally learns what happens when bidding wars between recruiters erupt at manifestation when she becomes the latest acquisition by Aquila Operations, a boutique corporate consulting firm. No corporate mergers, land acquisitions, or balancing budgets here. Conrada joins a team known for their unorthodox methods and a reputation for always getting the job done.  For Aquila is in the business of the unique and the dangerous, and charges prices accordingly. TL;DR? "What if Johnny Silverhand was a magic hyena?" ~2k word chapters, updating twice a week. What to Expect: 1st person POV, slow burn, low fantasy, soft sci-fi, corporate-feudalism. It's not 100% cyberpunk, but it has some strong vibes of the genre. It's also not quite grimdark; determination, hope and optimism still survive. Diverse side characters. The ethics/morals/characters are all grey, there are very few clear cut 'good guys' here. Some characters are trying to be better, some will have lines pushed, some have given up. Some are supporting the status quo. There is a hetero romance, but I don't do anything quickly so it'll be a slow build from distrustful, to friendship, to romance. It will also have aspects that are an unhealthy mess. Written as 'episodes' that do a little bit of overarching plot and little bit of 'mission of the week'. A core cast of characters are present most episodes, and others will only be there for that episode. There will often be more questions than answers.  What Not to Expect: Harems, LitRPG or system elements, protagonists who are going to solve every problem with power ups or killing, a discrete 'bad' guy/antagonist that can be defeated to make everything better. Profanity is a common occurrence, other content warnings are there for when the plot needs it. All written work is lovingly crafted by a human, if you see mistakes please let me know so I can correct them. AI is currently used for the cover art till I can replace it.